As I was drinking this tea, I realized it is only my second ever Tie Guan Yin, so I was excited to really think about the flavor in comparison to the other I’ve had.
The first infusion was very vegetal and the liquor was a lovely hay color. It was lightly astringent, but the flavor really came out in full force. With the second infusion, the astringency took a brief leap and tickled the tongue in a fun sort of way that helped me taste the tea itself a bit more completely.
For each proceeding infusion, I was joined by a friend who, not a great drinker of tea, found it extremely palatable and enjoyed more than a few cups. At this point, the tea really mellowed out and the flavor lingered nicely.
I’m most excited about this Tie Guan Yin, as it is from the family tea plantation of a tea shop owner my brother knows. He sent along a tin with 8 more samples, so this will hopefully last me at least a little while, as I make my way through the many other teas my brother sent me!
